FINANCIAL AID FAQs

You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and an EGC Financial Aid application.

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Fall Semester– June 1
Spring Semester– October 1
Summer Semester– March 1

Yes, you must first complete the FAFSA before you can apply for a student loan.

No, you don't have to be admitted before you apply for financial aid. It is recommended that you apply for financial aid as soon as possible. *Note the priority deadlines.*

Yes, you need to apply for financial aid every academic school year, which begins in the Fall Semester.

Contact Federal Student Aid Programs at 1-800-433-3243, or you can check your status on the internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov (PIN required). Click on "Check Status of a submitted FAFSA."

A PIN is needed to access your federal aid information on the internet. You can use your PIN (and your parents PIN, if applicable) to electronically sign your FAFSA, make corrections to your FAFSA, view your Student Aid Report (SAR), request a duplicate Student Aid Report (SAR), and check your current loan balance. Students and parents can apply online at www.pin.ed.gov.

Your dependency status is determined by the dependency questions on the FAFSA. To determine your status, go to the following link and complete the "Determine Dependency Status" worksheet.

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/before015.htm

Employment, grants, loans and scholarships. Grants and scholarships usually do not have to be repaid. Loans are repayable normally in monthly installments following graduation or withdrawal from school.

Federal Pell Grants. The Pell Grant is a federal aid program designed to provide financial assistance to those who need financial assistance. Award amount is based on cost of attending college, the amount of funds available, and the amount of family contribution (your EFC).

Although you do not have to be full-time to receive the Pell Grant, you will be awarded based on full-time enrollment. Pell will prorate to the number of hours you are enrolled. For 2010-2011, if your EFC exceeds 4500 but is less than 4617, you must be full-time to receive Pell.

You may be able to receive the Pell Grant in the summer, depending on your enrollment status.

There are three types of loans: subsidized, unsubsidized, and the Parent PLUS loan.

Subsidized loans are low-interest, need-based loans for students enrolled at least half- time. The Federal government will pay all interest on your loan until you begin repayment which starts six months after you graduate or cease to be enrolled at least half-time.

Unsubsidized loans are not based on need. The program is open to all students who do not qualify for other subsidized Federal Stafford loans. You are responsible for all interest from the day the loan is originated.

Parent PLUS loans are just for that purpose. You must be enrolled at least half-time. This loan is not based on need. Parents may borrow up to the cost of attending less any other financial aid award. Repayment begins within 60 days of loan disbursement.

HOPE Scholarship. Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally is funded by the states of Georgia and the Georgia Lottery.

The HOPE Scholarship is for qualifying students enrolled in degree-seeking programs. The HOPE Grant is for qualifying students enrolled in certificate or diploma programs which are NOT offered at East Georgia College. For more information, please contact the Financial Aid office or the Georgia Student Finance Commission.

The HOPE Scholarship pays tuition and some fees for eligible students, including summer semester. For details, please see the Fee Schedule.

No, you do not have to be full-time to receive HOPE. HOPE pays for tuition and mandatory fees regardless of how many hours you are enrolled.

High-school graduates are notified by their schools if they are eligible for the HOPE scholarship. If you are not initially eligible out of high school, you may be eligible with the required grade point average (GPA) at 30, 60 or 90 attempted hours of degree-seeking coursework.

Yes, you can regain your HOPE scholarship if you qualify at either 60 or 90 attempted hours with a 3.0 HOPE GPA.

HOPE pays a book allowance of $150 per semester for eligible full-time students. If a student is enrolled less than half-time, the book allowance is $75.

You can go to our website at www.ega.edu/registrar/catalog/. A list is available in our EGC catalog under the Financial Aid section. The deadline for scholarship applications is April 1^st.

The Business Office will issue your refund after your tuition and fees have been deducted. You will be issued a Higher One card for this purpose.

Approximately two weeks after the start of the semester.

Students receiving financial aid must be in good standing and be making "SAP." This means you cannot be on any form of academic exclusion and must be earning the required number of hours toward a degree.

Students must earn the following number of hours dependent upon their enrollment status:

1. Full-time students - 20 hours per academic year (10 hours per semester)
2. 3/4-time students - 14 hours per academic year (7 hours per semester)
3. 1/2-time students - 10 hours per academic year (5 hours per semester)

Full-time - 12 hours
3/4 time - 9, 10 or 11 hours
1/2 time - 6, 7 or 8 hours

Reinstatement can be requested once the minimum number of hours has been earned. A student may also request reinstatement once they have completed at least one semester with a 2.0 GPA.

Students may appeal to have their financial aid reinstated. To do so, you must send a written request to the Director of Financial Aid. Appeals will be heard by the Financial Aid Committee within one week (five class days) and the student will be notified in writing of the results.

No. Financial aid will not pay for:

1. Audited courses.
2. Regents Review courses.
3. Courses that are taken for self-improvement.

Financial Aid will pay for three attempts in each Learning Support area: Reading, English and Math.

Verification is a process by which your school requests certain documents from you to compare the information from your FAFSA application with the information on the documents.

The Department of Education or your school may select you for verification.

The Director of Financial Aid.

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This page was last edited: 06/07/2010

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